Travel insurance, who do you use for trip interruptions etc

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

Folks, don't get hung up on price.  My wife and I have been buying an annual medical travel insurance from the same company for thirty years and never had a claim.  Now I do.  I had to go to the medical centre on a cruise ship.  It has been more than five months since the claim was submitted.  I phone every month but I still don't know if they will pay out, when they will pay out or how much they will pay out.  I am not renewing with them.  Trying to find out which insurer will honour claims in a timely and decent manner is next to impossible.  All the discussions on the boards, including this one, are about price and coverage.   Can anybody shed light on satisfactory claims experience?

It would helpful if you wrote which company was was giving you  a hard time 

[lx200gps]

8 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

Folks, don't get hung up on price.  My wife and I have been buying an annual medical travel insurance from the same company for thirty years and never had a claim.  Now I do.  I had to go to the medical centre on a cruise ship.  It has been more than five months since the claim was submitted.  I phone every month but I still don't know if they will pay out, when they will pay out or how much they will pay out.  I am not renewing with them.  Trying to find out which insurer will honour claims in a timely and decent manner is next to impossible.  All the discussions on the boards, including this one, are about price and coverage.   Can anybody shed light on satisfactory claims experience?

Here's one data point. A few years ago, our Princess ship's return into Galveston was delayed by about 6 hours due to the ubiquitous winter fog that port is known for. Needless to say we missed our return flight and there are few flights back to YUL from Houston so we had to overnight at Bush and fly home the following day. While were parked offshore in the fog, I got on the phone to start the process with Blue Cross and Air Canada. In the end, they seamlessly paid for our Air Canada change fees, our hotel at IAH, our rental car, a small Per Diem etc. IIRC the only thing they wouldn't cover (and maybe it was a bit cheeky of me to try and claim it) was the one extra day parking charge at YUL due to the delay.  They paid out quickly and without issue, though of course it was only a few hundred dollars in total.

[Fairgarth]

11 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

This annual plan has a max payout of $5K per person, BUT you can buy an additional add on plan for the amount above $5K if you wish.  This add on is done trip by trip.

 

 

I'm of the opinion that a limit of $5000 is hopelessly inadequate.  Here's my evidence.  I had to go to a cruise ship medical centre twice in 24 hours.  The total was $5021.  My mother-in-law was boarding a cruise ship in Ft. Lauderdale when she fell backwards on the escalator and ended up in hospital in intensive care for four days.  The bill was $23,600.  (We were surprised - thought it would be very much higher!)  A friend had an accident in Cuba which could not be fixed locally and was flown home on a private jet.  What did that cost?  When we left New York on QM2 the captain sailed in closer to the Maine coastline and a Coast Guard helicopter lifted off a sick passenger.  What did that cost?  Who pays?

 

The other thing you must think about is who pays?  In my case, I paid the cruise ship and now it's my job to submit the claim to my insurer.  Until, or indeed if, they settle I'm out five grand.  For my mother-in-law in Ft. Lauderdale, the hospital claimed directly from her insurance and she had nothing to do with it.  If, however, you run up a hospital bill in Albania, Aruba or Argentina are they likely to claim from a Canadian insurer and just let you go?

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, Fairgarth said:

 

I'm of the opinion that a limit of $5000 is hopelessly inadequate.  Here's my evidence.  I had to go to a cruise ship medical centre twice in 24 hours.  The total was $5021.  My mother-in-law was boarding a cruise ship in Ft. Lauderdale when she fell backwards on the escalator and ended up in hospital in intensive care for four days.  The bill was $23,600.  (We were surprised - thought it would be very much higher!)  A friend had an accident in Cuba which could not be fixed locally and was flown home on a private jet.  What did that cost?  When we left New York on QM2 the captain sailed in closer to the Maine coastline and a Coast Guard helicopter lifted off a sick passenger.  What did that cost?  Who pays?

 

The other thing you must think about is who pays?  In my case, I paid the cruise ship and now it's my job to submit the claim to my insurer.  Until, or indeed if, they settle I'm out five grand.  For my mother-in-law in Ft. Lauderdale, the hospital claimed directly from her insurance and she had nothing to do with it.  If, however, you run up a hospital bill in Albania, Aruba or Argentina are they likely to claim from a Canadian insurer and just let you go?

The $5K is cancellation / interruption insurance not medical.

 

If you buy the Blue Cross Medical the coverage is 5 Million.

 

Who pays depends on where your medical incident happens - what country - what hospital, etc.  No one insurance can guarantee that they will pay.  Sometimes you have to pay and then submit for reimbursement.  This all depends on where you are.  Just remember too that you are required for medical to call the insurance company - if possible - before treatment.

[Fairgarth]

Hallelujah!  A check in the mail yesterday, over six months since I incurred the expense.  The claim was over five grand so I have been out-of-pocket all this time and not knowing when or if it would be settled.  The amount of $122 was deemed not eligible but I am very happy to get the settlement.

 

The point was made earlier about declaring which company this was.  I'm reluctant to say since I expect many others might pile in on this one company.  I'm sure there are more companies just as bad.  Perhaps we need a new thread:  "Report your claims experience with travel medical insurance, good and bad." 

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

Hallelujah!  A check in the mail yesterday, over six months since I incurred the expense.  The claim was over five grand so I have been out-of-pocket all this time and not knowing when or if it would be settled.  The amount of $122 was deemed not eligible but I am very happy to get the settlement.

 

The point was made earlier about declaring which company this was.  I'm reluctant to say since I expect many others might pile in on this one company.  I'm sure there are more companies just as bad.  Perhaps we need a new thread:  "Report your claims experience with travel medical insurance, good and bad." 

 

Congratulations!  Happy to hear that your cheque arrived!